Drilling bit



" Aprilz4,\1928. 1,667,155

Z. B. HIGDON DRILLI/NG BIT Filed March 18, 1927-\`Y MV @IWW 1NVENT0R A TTORNE YS.

Patented. pr. 24, 1928e UNITED slTATEs ZALMON B. HIGDON, 0F PONGA CITY, OKLAHOMA.

DBILLING BIT.

Application led March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,896.

M invention relates. to improvements in drilllng bits, and its object is to produce a drilling bit of the character described which will be: new, useful, novel, cheap, durable, strong, eiicient and of utility; llght; more easil handled; able to drill one sized hole all t e way down; one in which the power of the motor can be applied close to the place of drilling instead of a long distance away; which will facilitate the easy withdrawing and inserting of the drilling equipment when it is necessaryand the saving of time thereby; and lessening the number of men` required on the job when in operation. '.'With these and other objects in view, the .invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafterrdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor etails of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Reference is hereby made to the drawing of which, v

Figure 1 is a sectional view throu h the device on the line of 1-1 of Fig. 2; ig. 2 is an elevational view of the device, showing Y two of the edge cutting arms extended in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary -view' showing one of the short cutters closed and extended, the outer front edge of which is shown in Fig. 2 and showing one of the longer cutters extended' Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing a fragment of the casing and the device therein, with cutters closed; Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the device with all cutting arms extended.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

One embodiment and the manner of applying the same is as follows:

The preferred power for the operating. of the drilling bit is a motor 32 placed within reasonable proximity to the bit, the power being applied from above through a cable 33. The lower part of the bit 1 is cone shaped the extreme lower portion forming an apex 2 being channeled in four places as shown at 3, 4, forming four cutting points at the apex, said channels extending thereabove to the upper edge 5 of said lower portion of the bit 1. A short distance above the apex 2said lower portion 1 is divided on its surface into for equidistant ribs three of which are shown at 6, 7, 8, the outside edges of each of which, are parallel as shown at 9, l0. Each of said ribs is segmented into a plurality of preferably five, segments as shown at 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, forming an additional number of cutting edges as shown at 16, 17, 18, 19, 2o, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. These segments ma be parallel, or if preferred staggered. n the upper central portion of said lower body of the drill bit 1 is a threaded perforation 27 surrounded by a neck portion 27a into which is introduced a holding member 28 in the preferred form i of a downwardly extending threaded lug, or tongue from the u per member 29 of `said drilling bit hereina er described.

The upper body member 29 of said drilling bit has a central threaded bore 30 into which is introduced a shaft 31 from the motor 32 connecting with cable 33; said member 29 has a tapering shoulder 34 above the main round body portion 35; lsaid body towards its lower portion has a second and an oppositely tapering shoulder 36 ending in a perpendicular rounded portion 37 with a round threaded tongue or lug 28 therebelow, adapted to be screwed into a similarly threaded perforation 27 in the center to of said lower portion 1 and to securely ho` d the same. Said round body portion 35 and said tapering portion 36 have four equidistant longitudinal slots, two of which are shown by dotted-in portions at 38, 39, four depressed cut-out portions as shown at 40, 41, are provided for being equi-distant between said four slots each having in bottom central portion a threaded perforation 4l". Near the middle of said slots in each of the walls between each of said slots and said depressed portions is a perforation 42 for the seatin of a pin 42; each of said pins being adapte to hold in place an opening and closin cutting member hereinafter described. fter the lsetting of said cutt' members and the pins holding the same provide a frustum shaped rounded cornered holding member 43 with central perforation therethrough, and these are each held in lace by a counter-sunk screw-bolt 44. The ower outer beveled edges 45 of said frustum of theshaped member 43 when held in place by screw-bolt 44 constantly press against the ends of pins 42 and hold them securely in place thereby securely anchoring on said pins 42 the opening and closing cutting members hereinafter described. In addition to the cutting surfaces provided for in the lower cone shaped part 1 of the drilling bit I provide a plurality of cutting surfaces on the lower ends of opening and closing cutting arms 46, 47 and 48, 49, anchored to the upper portion 29 of said drilling bit. Two of said longitudinal slots into which are to be inserted said arms 46, 47, are identical in form, and said other two longitudinal slots vinto which are to be inserted arms 48, 49,

are also identical in form` with each other. Said arms are all of metal, or of other suitable substance, and are of such size in thickness as to be easily and movably withdrawn from the said longitudinal slots for which they are respectively intended. Their upper and outer edge surfaces 50, 51, 52, and 53 are rounded so as to permit them to enter and leave the upper rounded ends 38, 39, 39a, 39h of said longltudinal slots, and to permit them to be withdrawn from and inserted into the casing and well easily; their outer edge surfaces therebelow are straight to permit of their being, when closed, raised and lowered easily in said casing and well. On their upper inner portions is a sloping face or shoulder 50b between their uppermost ortion 5()a and said bosses 54, 55, 56. aid arms have rounded bosses on their inner edge surfaces near their upper, ends with a cross-section perforation 57 therethrough adapted to receive said pin 42. On the lower ends of each of said arms 46, 47, 48, 49, are three segmented cutting surfaces 58, 59, 60, preferably made integral with each of said arms. They may, however, if desired, be made separately and attachable and detachable. These may be staggered, or if pre ferred, arranged to cut in the same circular path with the respective companion cutting arms. All of said longitudinal slots have in their inner central portion deeper semi-circularly formed depressions as shown at 62 to permit the bosses on said movable cutters to move therein. Two of said slots as shown in the present embodiment for the inserting therein of said shorter movable cutting arms 48, 49 have near their upper ends a deeper right angled cut-in portion 61. This permits the shoulder 50b of said shorter cutting arms to sink deeper into the body of said upper member 29 without .contact and allows the outer cutting surfaces of said arms to extend themselves at greater distance from the periphery of said body. The said shorter cutting arms are identical in form and are so arranged when extended, as to cut the outer portion of the drilling hole when in operation. Said cutting arms 48, 49,

are identical in form and are so arranged when extended, as to cut a portion of the drilling hole, when in operation, greater than the path of the cutting surfaces on said lower cone shaped body member 1, and less than the path ofthe cutting surfaces of said cutting arms 46, 47.

The device depends for its effectiveness rather on the revolution and speed of the revolutions than its weight.

In operation the drilling bit is assembled as above described, and is connected by a motor shaft 31 to motor 32 and cable 33; it then starts drilling and the casing 63 of the size at which it is intended to nish the hole is inserted in the hole. lThe motor is started and the drilling bit revolved by motor power, the motor being permitted to keep reasonably in close proximity to the drilling. The cutting point at the apex 2 and the other cutting surfaces of said cone shaped lower body 1 cut the hole to the size of the periphery of said cone member. The centrifugal force of the revolutions of the device forces the cutting arms open to the. extent of their throw, and cutting arms 46 and 47 cut the hole wider than that made by the cutting surfaces of the cone shaped portion l; cutting arms v48 and 49 then cut the hole wider than that made by cutting arms 46 and 47. As soon as the motor is shutoff the revolutions of the drilling bit ceases, and cutting arms 46, 47, 48, 49, close so as to be easily withdrawn from, and again be inserted in the well. It will be apparent to those familiar with the art to which my invention pertains that the required casing for the well drilled with this device will not be of a greater size at the beginning than that in which it is intended to finish the well. 1

Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Let` ters Patent, is:

1. A drilling bit 'comprising an initial cutting portion of inverted conical form, and movab y mounted pendent cutting'arms of alternately different lengths disposed above said conical portion in sets, one set mounted for greater outward movement than the other set.

2. A drilling bit comprising a lower in? in substantially the same horizontal plane, some of said arms being mounted for greater outward throw than others.

5. A drilling bit comprising an initial cut- 5 tingportion of inverted conical form, and a series of sets of cutting arms of varyin lengths pivotally mounted above said intia portion with their pivots in substantially the same horizontal plane, some of said arms being mounted for greater outward throw than ot ers, each of said sets being adapted to cut next adjacent the swath cut by the next preceding set. e

ZALMON B. HIGDON. 

